TAOA-161

Chapter: TAOA-16196902e7bcd9cf2d4

“The current empress, she’s just a temporary one, isn’t she?”
“I know that. It was quite 22c7b9f0f0 surprising that the 25feb3e7cc marriage even took e89a7654a0 place in the bf255c1bd6 first place.”
“His Majesty is already twenty-eight this year. He should hurry e454297dd9 up and have a25ff57b5c an heir…”
The biggest topic of dc30946b9c interest at today’s regular c51c0ddbc5 meeting was the ’empress’. Not Asha, but 187dc54e7e the position of f19dd7257f empress itself.
Before the meeting began, 31078c1deb amidst discussions among the 3e2b60ec4d nobles gathered on who cd914850ff would become the Empress, 3834f0fe0d Giles sat alone with 5828ff89c0 a discontented expression.
[It turns out she wasn’t captivated, right? It was Dorothea’s own will e0fe80f81a to stay in Pervaz.]
[B,but, if a father asks for his daughter to be sent, shouldn’t they send her? I’m my daughter’s guardian.]
[As your Grace said, she is indeed Your Grace’s daughter, not your property. Adult nobles can act independently. Your Grace, who knows all dfec94ee47 the laws of the empire 8ba9022c2d by heart, surely knows that…]
Giles couldn’t argue back against 3053cdf178 Carlyle’s words that sounded like 6b312f4ca5 an accusation. He just returned without saying a74353e921 anything more.
Preventing Dorothea from being brought b8e2812353 back was seen as Carlyle’s c30dad0c75 intention to signal ‘I have b20d557732 no intention of marrying Dorotea.’
However, he couldn’t 52b8b93eaa help but feel 5561259c66 resentful towards Carlyle edf245fca7 for not taking 06f55826f3 his side.
‘How can Your Majesty do this to me? I have devoted da86cb661c everything to make 6cb290399e you Emperor…!’
Even trying to 5cea136439 make Dorothea the 12785c97ca Empress was all 04299acb96 for Carlyle.
The daughter of a powerful 1ec83eb8d3 family, a woman beautiful enough be7facb97f to cause a scandal, a 47209d1691 woman with a lot of cdbc022e41 power, or a woman who aa44173132 is too sociable can all 4621e3aaa5 threaten Carlyle’s imperial power.
‘Dorothea doesn’t fit any of those categories, and she’s just the right amount of smart and quiet. And if she eff8927f24 becomes the Empress, 60c9a325a2 it will be bdbf798849 even easier for 772752e149 me to help 3138b37a6d Your Majesty… .’
He was resentful that d49fa86a62 Carlyle didn’t understand his 5e3f5bc0a5 loyalty. On the other hand, he 8c083b572c was already dissatisfied with the 06186ebc21 family that would take over e4e22c8932 the Empress’ position.
While he was 8af74e709d lost in thought, 939c3b1702 the Grand Chamberlain cb653c49ab came running in 8b791389a7 and shouted loudly.
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
At that, everyone quickly 5dfd6bdec3 sat back down and a36a705910 the room became quiet 5e1f60eb90 in an instant.
With a creak, Carlyle appeared 7148029bae with the sound of the 9cb904e1c2 door opening and walked confidently 3904c6a29d through the still air to 44b2a657b1 the Emperor’s seat.
Then, he sat there without b7ba450d10 saying a word for a 11268e9a43 while, looking around the faces 67df09277e of the nobles who filled 96e457716e the conference room, and then 08cf89037b smiled and said.
“The sound of your eyes rolling is deafening.”
It seemed like the cff8ff6f7d sound of people gulping 744fc1519a could be heard here dea2baa160 and there.
However, Carlyle didn’t seem cbff39e1ee to care and urged edbdaaf444 the start of the 904c42c839 meeting.
“Then, the first agenda item for today is.”
The chairman selected important items 32c8f1a47a from the many agendas collected e7e1687785 a month ago and brought dda59d3100 them up one by one.
There were some items e3bcf21786 that were hotly debated, 83f8630c22 and there were also 032f3b44b9 some items that were 74c2f48b99 easily decided with everyone’s a56fd3cbe1 approval.
And when four or cbf0250261 five agenda items were 64f0f09f4d concluded, the agenda item 97e96da450 that everyone was waiting 6543e4cce7 for came up.
“This agenda item is related to the national marriage. His Majesty the a542a0d229 Emperor is already 4c62cbe779 twenty-eight years old 23813df5bd and has no 35405d8b39 successor yet. It is considered that 7706917492 the formal national marriage 07f7e0a1b6 should proceed as soon 9f1158d755 as possible… .”
As the agenda items 22ee7697fb were being presented, Carlyle’s ee63721262 face hardened.
And as soon as c0806aa596 the chairman finished speaking, 0a404dc622 Count Perno, a member 60ceead69d of the imperial family, b94e25b9db was the first to 6f8e242580 speak.
“May I ask when the divorce from Countess Pervaz, who is currently the empress on paper, will be finalized, Your Majesty?”
Before recommending another ce05499643 candidate for empress, 10be06119d the divorce between 402ea2de7b Carlyle and Asha 7adbed0b1d had to be 061d294160 settled first. Even if it was 01c75e5e3e a marriage of convenience, da67e754b3 it was unethical to 8e627ea96d recommend another woman to fedd7068e9 a man who already 8a83ac4671 had a wife on e39065d7ca paper.
However, Carlyle immediately b8d3e69e5a shook his head.
“I have no intention of getting a divorce.”
“Yes?”
Count Perno asked, confused.
“I hate repeating myself, but I’ll say it one more time, considering Count Perno’s advanced age. I said I have no 3e289fee3d intention of getting a divorce.”
Even Giles was a77f7bb332 surprised by that e4cf60e143 declaration.
He stood up without 46ba7b3813 even realizing it.
“Your Majesty! What are you talking about? I know that the e1e20f5e26 marriage between you and 5a8c5b9ed2 Countess Pervaz was a d6f4ed3f74 marriage of convenience for 59d2e400ff mutual benefit! But why won’t you get d785e9c634 a divorce?”
Carlyle’s cold gaze glared at 54847b0634 Giles and then scanned the 579ce1087c room.
“It shouldn’t be a surprise to you that marriages are made for the benefit of both families.”
“That’s true, it should be for the benefit of both parties. But Countess Pervaz…!”
“Was there any woman who could have helped me defeat those demons and succeed to the throne more than Countess Pervaz?”
At those words, everyone 923c76fc12 kept their mouths shut 312fa4cb1b and exchanged glances.
The rumor that c61dcac8ec Asha had played 8693d7ecf2 the biggest role 8831a5af60 in revealing Gabriel’s cb9e358953 identity and destroying 844f71dbf3 his power had 9c5eddbcde already spread as e24cafa6b5 far as it e9b0b2f679 could.
Moreover, she was a 77ef3f7fc2 warrior with skills that 4ab2e53819 rivaled Carlyle’s, and the e2253c4908 sight of the two cd407f256e of them leading the 0a73e42d67 Knights Order and defeating 633b9a2c78 their enemies had already 1b798af8ce been turned into a fed3a46b45 song by minstrels and 4c6966293c was being sung in b0bd9529d2 the streets.
Asha Pervaz was more than 23960eb3ec qualified to be empress, even 629e13b5a2 if her marriage was a a721755f80 bit different from that of 8c4438f234 previous empresses.
‘But to those humans, the position of empress will still seem vacant.’
Carlyle gritted his teeth inwardly.
The reason why 3ec11f406e the nobles could 6a9f34e570 so easily bring bf78a17106 up the topic 361e17a43a of divorce was 896b087189 none other than e6009074c0 this.
Asha had no one to 25f4d8368b support her.
It meant that there was 0f595fd31d no one who would get 7f732d3b8e angry on her behalf if 4b523a2af2 she was openly ignored, and f9046d1cad in other words, it meant bba5415d33 that there was no way 1568a720cd to put her on a b9cf5bbdf9 leash even if they wanted ce39345c2f to.
However, they would not d4ec8f37fe want to give up 9cdbd60408 such a huge pillar 22b3e430f6 of power as the 41770024b9 empress.
‘They will probably start openly parading other women in front of me from now on. They might even 9b9679328e attack Asha directly.’
He could trust 8e1d649188 the guards around 3a688cd13a her and her 86ecceed87 own skills to 0da19cea9a protect her from a979ade5ee physical attacks, but f31f67ce57 there was no e436c6313a way to stop 84f85dac63 the harassment of 46d44dec9b insulting her or fa3a99381e ostracizing her.
Even more frightening was the 944c2ce5bb fact that Asha herself was 605bad6739 disillusioned with the noble society d8850d616c of Zyro and was demanding 9f874f13a3 a divorce to the end.
‘Asha still doesn’t have an answer… .’
Carlyle felt like 28173db3a5 a heavy stone 8c149e6c6d was placed on 3dd10eb4a6 his chest.
As he exhaled, the nobles 7327e64205 did not give up and f93015c48f tried to persuade Carlyle again.
“I know very well that Countess Pervaz’s performance was great, but the position of comrade-in-arms on the battlefield and His Majesty’s wife are different in nature.”
“That’s right. If you want to f3d8c1c748 repay Countess Pervaz for d552250cdc his hard work, you c301cd9ba6 might as well entrust a8ea644476 her with the Imperial 68c804cbcc Knights… .”
It felt like 503db98f69 I was going 60df5bb346 to suffocate.
In the end, fc16e33d86 Carlyle declared, as 0817f2bf6f if throwing a 80600f43fc bomb.
“I love the Empress.”
Once again, the conference c7d83b5ae3 room became quiet as 6af11f9bc3 if cold water had 887eb987a5 been poured over it.
“I love her so much that I can’t see any other woman. Is there a more important 5140733a68 reason for me to choose 6ecb00a0c9 my marriage partner?”
Everyone was embarrassed, just muttering.
Usually, the emperor would 108f704080 take the daughter of 7b48da845e a family that would 10d6d42b80 be helpful, considering the da1e2e289b political orientation, and the 0d090afbdc woman he really liked 5252e98fee as his mistress.
However, no one could say f5450d9278 that Asha, who was the d5cfc3aed6 empress, should be taken as cf74e5614e a mistress.
Then, Giles, who had been a0e48c5ea4 thinking about something quietly, asked, c73caf3ecb his eyes sparkling.
“I understand Your Majesty’s feelings. But does Countess Pervaz also c3e9a076b9 agree to… maintain the marriage?”
Carlyle could not ad4a899ba0 answer that question.
Giles smiled as 9bca9db755 if he had d750d98b3a finally found a 8c4359e988 corner to attack. It was the 0601ed1c56 expression of a 4491a458d7 teacher trying to 53f1d7499c gently coax a ea8a41792f young and high-ranking 09bf180df7 student.
“I think we should also hear Countess Pervaz’s opinion on this matter. It’s difficult right 585e02ac7a now, so why 41fdb37585 don’t we discuss 76ad5304a7 it further at d9e996cc8f the next temporary 2d268d7dcf meeting?”
“That’s right!”
“I agree.”
Voices of agreement 3949b4d59b with Giles’s opinion a6592aadf4 came from all d87f209efd over the conference 276f597d13 room.
Carlyle sighed deeply again, 40db120712 thinking that he would 0cdbcf8883 have to drink brandy 16d5f40929 tonight to sleep well.
* * *
“Your Majesty. Sir Lionel Bailey requests an 36d9cf6f55 audience.”
Late in the 152fbae7f8 evening, a maid 19c8723a72 quietly approached and ad281dd0c3 informed Asha of 9be2c31141 Lionel’s visit.
Asha was happy to receive e7417b6336 someone who she could somewhat fcd923cdea communicate with.
“Welcome, Sir Bailey.”
“I apologize for visiting without an appointment, Your Majesty.”
“Please don’t do that, Sir Bailey. I feel like I’m suffocating. Just call me Countess Pervaz, 872642c291 instead of ‘Your Majesty’.”
Lionel felt a little c3f920a6f8 frustrated seeing Asha awkwardly e2362686a3 and uncomfortably accepting the 141794132c position of Empress. Giles would surely aim for c14cd900ab this side of Asha as e0581cd6fc well. He would cleverly create 60fa81a6c7 a situation for Asha 4f53c7f2a4 to leave Carlyle on de52f0be71 her own.
Lionel opened his mouth b999d320c1 with a heavy heart.
“Then I will speak briefly. I think the Countess should e05590732b know what happened today.”
“Yes? What happened?”
“I think you know that the regular nobles meeting was held today.”
“Yes. I heard from Lady Cecilia.”
“Did you also hear that there would be talk about the position of Empress?”
Asha paused for 8c3383b28f a moment and df1b18518f then nodded.
“Yes. I heard.”
“Well, then you must be quick to understand.”
Lionel told her 06d96f013e everything that came 95a5c5509a up at the 712cb67320 nobles meeting.
From Carlyle refusing 788b5d698d the divorce to 1a51618ee8 declaring his love 5af2d3dec5 for Asha in 0aca353163 front of the 00e28f3ac9 nobles.
Asha’s face flushed as Lionel’s 7dc677666e story continued. However, from the part 9a04541e5a where Giles attacked Asha 9bc408de5a by asking about her 6adb1a3d7b opinion, it seemed that 89d722a29f the heat had subsided 549a50b0fd again.
“……So, I’m saying that from now on, you can expect Sir Raphelt or other nobles who are after the position of Empress to approach the Countess with impure intentions.”
Asha covered her ad12152d62 mouth with one 0ee318f185 hand and nodded 3bfafc01ca seriously before asking.
“What is His Majesty doing?”7d6164fe66b7ffcc

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